Wonderful Blue Skies and "Warmth"!

(Clicking on the pictures will open them larger in a new window.)

December 29, 2017

We took our time this morning, only 111 miles or so for today's travels, so no hurry. Before we left the Holt Shell I took a walk and took a couple of "mandatory" dinosaur shots...we have little grandsons. I even caught the Stinger "B" in the background.

Merging onto I-8 and heading west. 

           

Green fields and a solar farm not far past Gila Bend.

Views out the windshield.
From afar then up close.

We may be wrong but we think they want us to stay on the curve.
(This was only about half of the signs.)

Then in the distance Telegraph Pass.

No matter how many times we ride through here my mind will always go to the first time with the Crusader our first year out. This was our first "6% Grade", we have the Mountain Directories, and we stopped at the rest area just before for Tom to make sure he had the truck set up correctly. We were new and had no idea what we were about to drive through. Now in the Stinger "B"  we can hear the engine pulling but it is pretty much clear sailing. Even the last time we drove through here with the Crusader driving East we wondered what we had worried about.

Going up...up

Heading east and down on our right.

Heading down with Yuma in the distance.

Driving down the entrance into the Westwind RV Park.

Mr. and Mrs Santa Claus are there to greet
us as we check in.

Parked in our site for the next 4 days.

After getting set up Linda and Len, we met them a couple of years ago in Tonopah, stopped over and after a quick "Happy Hour" we headed over to the Da Boyz for pizza, more visiting, and catching up. So before they got here I said to myself, several times, do not forget to take a picture...do not forget to have someone at the restaurant take a picture. I think I need a BIG, BIG sign because as you can see there is a complete lack of pictures. I did think of it after they dropped us off and drove away.

This popped up on my facebook news feed this morning and I decided to screen shot it to share. This is actually about 188 miles northwest of where we live in Michigan. We are lucky in Escanaba we do not get even half the snow that they do. Though we do get the mind numbing temperatures which is why we are here.

The article mentioned 72 inches in the upper elevations but only 48 to 60 inches in the lower elevations with more to come.
This 60,000 acre park along the shores of Lake Superior is one of the last sprawling tracts of  wilderness in the midwest.
They have a lot of winter activities, cross country ski trails,  downhill sking, snowshoeing, and a winter complex. Plus there is backcountry winter camping.
The article said the temperature in nearby Ontonagon was -21 degrees and the wind chills in the UP were wicked, yes the article said wicked I always think of them as mind numbing, so dress appropriately and keep skin covered in these temperatures frost bite can happen within a half hour.

Now, if you like winter activities in the snow and cold this is the place to go. For us this is a beautiful place to camp in the summer. We unfortunately have not been up there in awhile. Maybe this summer after the For Sale sign is up in front of the house we will head up that way for a bit and enjoy Lake Superior, of all the Great Lakes my favorite. Tom on the other hand favors Lake Michigan, calmer and warmer.

So, So, Glad This Is Not Us!

We had a wonderful day and hope you did, too.

If you would like to leave a comment we would enjoy hearing from you.

Moving Farther West!

(Clicking on the pictures will open them larger in a new window.)

December 28, 2017

We were up early today and after our coffee and muffins, maple pecan I had made and had taken with us, then we started getting ready to leave. It is a process that includes a check list. No matter how many times we get ready to pull out we always take the time to check things off the list. So after getting everything set we pulled out and stopped just outside the park to hook up the Jeep.  This is were the "mostly smooth" part comes in. First the Jeep did not want to go into its Neutral setting for towing and then when we got past that the left blinker did not work on the Jeep. When I tried the blinker from inside the Jeep it worked and the blinker on the Stinger "B" worked but no matter what Tom checked it would not work from the motorhome. So we decided to just get going and it is something Tom will trouble shoot when we are stopped the next few day.

Out on AZ-90 heading north our first stop, well actually a wave through,
is at the Border Patrol checkpoint.

Then I noticed I forgot to take down the
door decoration. (not on the checklist)
A 98 cent purchase at Walmart and it is
still hanging on tonight.

We have merged onto I-10 and we are heading west.

I spotted my first Saguaro for this our 4th Adventure just east of Tucson.

Confusing side note: just after spotting the Saguaro we saw a sign that said Tucson City Limits. Then a few miles further on a sign said Tucson 20 miles. Just one of those things I question but not enough to do research about.

Then we were in the Tucson traffic.
The whole time we were on I-10  today the traffic was steady.

Always enjoy how they decorate their exit and entrances onto the highway.

Lots of semis today. Seemed like we saw more going east
then passing us though.

Then we are at the exit for I-8 and around the corner there are Saguaros
up the hills on our left. 

Some of today's views out the front windshield.

Saguaros as far as the eye can see.

Some brave ones right next to the highway.

More views out the front window.

Then there in the distance the Holt Shell Station.
Today's destination.

Tomorrow we will be in Yuma at the Westwind RV and Golf Resort for 4 nights. We stayed here last year and being a Passport America park the price is right. Then we think we will be doing some boondocking for most of January. We have friends who have a winter home just down the road from the park that we are looking forward to seeing. Plus, we know there are some other RVer's we are hoping to "cross paths" with just down the road to the west. 

Today was a mostly smooth, short travel day and we are now settled in for the night. 

Our hope is you had a wonderful relaxing day.

If you would like to leave a comment we would enjoy hearing from you.

Stinger "B" Gets A Much Needed Bath and A Quick Trip to Tombstone

December 26, 2017

After checking with the office Tom spent part of today giving the Stinger "B" a much needed and deserved bath. After all she brought us out of the frozen north to the sun and warmth of Arizona. (When I say frozen north I am not kidding back in Escanaba it has been below zero.) She now looks a lot better with the salt and road grime gone. I did some chores inside and took down the Christmas Decorations. We will be moving on Thursday and it just made sense to pack them away for the year. Though I will leave the Nativity Scene on the mirror until the Epiphany, when the Church celebrates the arrival of  Three Kings, on January 6, 2018. When we celebrated the Christmas Holidays in our house the decorations and the tree did not come down until after this weekend. 

Tom hard at work.

A little day after Christmas Treat during
our Happy Hour.

Later we spent time on the Messenger Video Chat watching our daughter's three children open Christmas Gifts. Her oldest daughter, Charlotte, spent Christmas with her father so they waited until she came home to celebrate. Nate is 2 and Adelaide is 1 which means they really did not realize it was not the actual day.

December 27, 2017

This morning started with us watching our daughter's children open their gifts from Santa. Charlotte understands that it is not actually Christmas morning but she still believes that Santa would make a special trip so they could celebrate when she came home.

Though we did not get to see our son and daughter-in-law's children open gifts Christmas Morning, and there is a part of us that is grateful about that as it would have been before 6:00am. We have been getting pictures of them enjoying their various gifts.  Though, we did get to watch them open their pajamas and quickly put them on Christmas Eve.

Today we planned to make a quick trip over to Tombstone. I wanted to do some shopping for a couple of things for the inside of the Stinger "B" and I was pretty sure I would find what I wanted there. (I will share my finds as soon as we get them in place.) Plus, it is just fun to take a walk up and down the street.

San Pedro River

Looking down Allen Street from North 6th Street.

Heading South on AZ-80.

Then West on AZ-90

After leaving Tombstone we headed over to Sierra Vista to pick up a few groceries at Fry's and Walmart. Plus, I wanted to make a stop at Hobby Lobby to check out if they had any good deals on wrapping paper for next year. They still had some left that I liked and at 60% off one good size roll fits under the bed.

We stopped at Chipotle Mexican Grill for dinner and then headed back home. So ends are time in this area for 2017.

We enjoyed our day and we hope you did the same.

Thank you for stopping by. If you would like to leave a comment we would enjoy hearing from you.

Christmas Day 2017

December 25, 2017

We started our Christmas with Midnight Mass at St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church in Sierra Vista. I, probably have mentioned it before, but I love going to Midnight Mass. I remember the first time I was considered old enough to attend. I was in 8th grade and we were allowed to sing in the choir that year. My dad took me and my mom stayed home with my younger sister and two brothers. I, also, remember the first time Tom and I went together. He was in the Navy and was home on leave. We attended the church he grew up in, St. Patrick's, which is sadly now closed. (If I close my eyes I can even picture were we sat that night.) Over the years the churches in our area stopped having Mass at Midnight. Instead they were usually at 9 or 10. Once, we had children we started attending an earlier, very crowded, children's mass and when they were in the children's choir that was always very special. Especially when more then once it included our parents and some extended family crowded into one pew. I am sitting here typing this and thinking how wonderful it is to have beautiful family memories of Christmas and at the same time being able to create new ones. (I am done rambling...)

The altar was beautifully decorated with poinsettias.

We sat by St. Andrew Kim Taegon
We had attended this church once before and had sat near this statue.
Both of our children were born in South Korea and we decided it 
would be a nice place to sit on Christmas.

We spent time talking with our children and exchanged Christmas Greetings with a couple of our brothers and sisters before heading over to the clubhouse for Christmas Dinner.

Our wine is open and ready to take to
the Christmas dinner. It is from the
Door Peninsula Winery and is called
White Christmas.

This winery is in the Door Peninsula of Wisconsin. Driving and about 3 hours from Escanaba. We have spent many wonderful times up there, camping and staying at a couple of different Bed and Breakfast's.

We had a wonderful time chatting with Evelyn and Al during dinner.
They both have 5th Wheels parked permanently here at the park. 

It was a wonderful  dinner and as always I never think to take a picture of the food. I will say everyone we talked to, and we would have to agree, said the food was delicious.

We took a walk to end our day. I did not capture the sunset but the clouds
to the north turned a lovely pink.

We had a wonderful Christmas Day. Our hope is that you did, also.

If you would like to leave a comment, we would enjoy hearing from you.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Wishing Everyone A Very Merry Christmas! 

The Nativity at Sacred Heart of Jesus in Tombstone, AZ

Our hope is you are celebrating with people you love and making wonderful memories.

Christmas Eve in the Stinger "B"

(Clicking on the pictures will open them larger in a new window.)

December 24, 2017

We are all decorated and enjoying a quiet Christmas Eve. We have video chatted with our kids and grandkids and we are, of course, missing them. We are living our retirement dream but Christmas is always a little bitter sweet. But we will video chat again in the morning and we will have dinner here at the park and it will be fun meeting new people and enjoying a meal together.

In a couple of hours we will head into Sierra Vista to attend Midnight Mass. I must say tonight is the only time I miss snow. It always made it extra special to being walking into church when there are big fluffy snowflakes coming down. I can live with the memories and I do not need the real thing...:)

As I mentioned above we are decorated inside and out.

The wreath that looked big on the Crusader's ladder now looks a little small
on the  Stinger "B". We bought the Santa hats and Tom added the bows.

Inside our stockings are hung and waiting for Santa.
One thing I miss about the Crusader is I finally had a fireplace to hang them by.

We even have a few decorations on the shelf in the bedroom.

Our Nativity Scene is on the mirror,].

Our tree...lol.

I think if I only put out the angel I would feel decorated.
My favorite Santa kneeling by the baby Jesus.

The two crocheted ones my mom made.
We have two of the stockings and I am thinking those may belong to
our kids.

Our night light seems appropriate.
Snowmen by a campfire, though it might
get a little "drippy" for them.

Another Nativity. I have quite a few as I collected them.

Two of my favorite thoughts.

Carmel Runchata Martinis not a bad
Christmas Eve "Happy Hour".

The minute I saw this kitchen towel I knew I needed
to hang it on our stove handle.

Merry Christmas Eve!